A Little Bit of Darkness
by Guiltypleasureismymiddlename
Summary: As Jughead explores what it means to be fully embraced in the South Side, Betty is starting to wonder how deep her own dark side runs. Maybe Jughead is not the only one with a foot in both the acceptable and unacceptable in Riverdale...
1. Chapter 1

AN: Thank you all for reading! Just fyi, this is a multiple chapter fic being updated once a week. I want to be able to delve into Betty's dark side and see how both Jughead and Betty would influence each other in that. This starts out in Jughead's POV but it'll go back and forth between the two. Post Season One, so spoiler alert! Enjoy. :)

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Maybe the words 'I love you,' don't change as much in our lives as we think. Maybe it doesn't change anything, the words lulling us into believing it can somehow kill the darkness within. We believe that maybe by professing our love for another person, we will somehow be saved from longing for anything more in life: we have what we want and it will sustain us for all time. Or maybe it does help quench the loneliness inside, but it can't get rid of the side of us we'd rather pretend didn't exist. We all have it, don't we? A dark side that cannot be taken away with three simple words. Take Jughead Jones for example. Having the love of his life should have been enough to turn away a group of criminal individuals when they knocked on his door, asking for his allegiance. For any other man, it might have been. But within the worn leather donned with a snake, Jughead found an acceptance, a family, and a love that Betty Cooper could not give him. No woman ever could. Betty would be next to figure out that Jughead Jones could never save her from what was already wrestling inside her to get out. They could only pray that they wouldn't destroy their professed love in the process.

Jughead smiled at the South Side Serpents as they disappeared in the distance, closing his trailer door behind him and looking over at the disheveled love of his life. He had it all now. He had his community. He had friends. He had a... family. Sort of. He had a girl who loved him. His smile fell upon seeing the worried look on Betty's face, her eyes fixed firmly on his new jacket. She didn't like it, this symbol of his new life. She didn't like it and Jughead was unsure if that made him angry or just upset, but the emotions were coming. For Betty too, apparently. Jughead shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, partially wanting to take off the new article of clothing and partially wanting to hug it closer to his body. He decided to remain still.

"What?" he asked softly, and Betty physically shook her head.

"Sorry. I just…." Betty trailed off, pursuing her lips in thought once more.

Jughead couldn't bear to see Betty even the least bit upset. That was something that kept them glued so firmly as they started their relationship. The second Betty was upset, Jughead would feel the need to apologize or make it better, depending on the situation. Maybe that made Jughead whipped. He really didn't care. The brunette walked to her in concern, wrapping an arm around her waist while the other hand stroked her cheek gently. Betty lifted her face slightly, rubbing her nose lightly against his own, and Jughead realized how close their lips were. The blonde blushed, and Jughead couldn't help but think about how far they were willing to go just moments before. Maybe it was good they were interrupted? Jughead rubbed his thumb slowly against her cheek, and Betty's eyes fluttered closed. Or maybe not.

"What are you thinking, Betts?" Jughead asked, his breath soft against her lips. Betty didn't answer immediately, her eyes opening long enough to stare at his mouth before meeting his eyes. He smirked, proud that he could have an effect on Betty in the same way that she had on him. Jughead remained continuously surprised that Betty thought he was attractive enough to capture her attention. She was certainly out of his league and Jughead was grateful that, if she noticed, Betty did not seem to care. Typical laws of high school seemed to elude them. They were both content to chase their hearts instead. Rather than leaning up to kiss him as Jughead had hoped, Betty sighed heavily, dropping her forehead to his shoulder and snuggling into his arms. Though disappointed, he happily rubbed her back, kissing the top of her head.

"I...I'm just worried for you, Juggie," she said, finally. The man holding her nodded against her blonde hair, understanding.

"You don't need to worry about me," he said, his words grumbling in his chest. Jughead hoped that Betty would believe him, but he could see that her frown remained in tact. He pulled away slightly, tilting her head to look at him. "What can I do to prove that to you?"

"Please don't join the Serpents," she said, gripping the new jacket he wore intensely. Jughead wondered that if he was not there, if she would be digging her fingernails into the undersides of her hands again. He moved his arms to intertwine her fingers in his, rubbing the pads of his thumbs against her palms. It seemed to calm her instantly and she sighed, smiling slightly. Jughead returned her smile with one of his own, happy to help her feel better.

"I'm not going to join them, Betts," he said, marveling at how unconvincing it sounded. Sure, right now he didn't want to join them. He was glad to be protected by them, especially knowing that a millionaire was out for his blood just days before. But join them? No way. But even Jughead had to admit to himself that things did not always pan out as he planned.

"Are you sure? You took the jacket…" Betty seemed hesitant but still wanted to believe him. Jughead sighed, wondering how many of his thoughts he needed to burden poor Betty with. They were so close, but Jughead wondered when it would move from just 'close' to 'too close.' Betty's eyes seemed so hopeful, and Jughead could not bear to lie to her.

"Well…" As he trailed off, Betty looked at him expectantly, telling him with her eyes that he should continue. "Well, at least not right now."

Betty immediately took multiple steps back, her face showing how distraught this revelation made her. Suddenly without his girl to hold, Jughead raked his hands through hair and groaned, wondering why he felt the need to say that. He could understand why knowing that would be so hard. He knew the South Side Serpents weren't the best group to be around. They were dangerous drug dealers known for cleaning up the messes of the more notorious people in town. This was not the life that Jughead wanted to lead. It was just the life that fell into his lap! And yet….

"Betty, please listen for a sec," Jughead started, fully expecting that Betty would interrupt him and was surprised when she didn't. Instead, disapproval firm on her face, Betty stared at him as she moved to his ratty couch and sat down.

"Go ahead, Jughead. I'm listening," she said, as calmly as would allow. Jughead was a bit surprised at her mild nature, until he noticed her fists were both clenched on her knees.

"Can I…Can I see your hands first?" Jughead asked tentatively, wondering how Betty would respond. Instead of being upset, she looked surprised, opening her palms and revealing red cuts where her fingernails just were. It was almost as if Betty didn't even realize that she was doing it. The blonde gasped audibly at the sight, tears filling her eyes. Jughead rushed to her side on the couch, pulling her into his arms once again as she began to cry.

"What's wrong with me, Jug?" she asked, sobbing into Jughead's sweater. Jughead shushed her gently, rubbing his lips against her hairline and whispering about how it was ok. He allowed her to cry for as long as she needed to. Seeing her in the state was not something that he looked forward to, but Jughead was glad to know that even when they disagreed, she would always cry on his shoulder. Betty eventually pulled back from him, looking at her palms once more. "Why do I do this to myself?"

"Maybe for the same reason I'm thinking of joining the Serpents. I think we both might have a little darkness inside us," Jughead replied, smoothing her hair away from her tear stained face. Betty nodded, watching as Jughead intertwined their fingers. "You're not a bad person, Betty."

"I know that," she said softly, still watching their hands. Jughead scowled.

"Look at me." When she did, Jughead could see the emotion swirling inside of her once more. "You are the kindest, sweetest, most caring person I've ever met. And for whatever reason, you feel like you need to do that to yourself. I wish you didn't. I don't want to see you hurt. But it doesn't make you a bad person." Betty considered this for a moment before replying.

"What if I wasn't kind or sweet anymore. Would you still love me?" she asked, slowly. Jughead was taken aback by the question. He couldn't fathom a universe where Betty wasn't as he described. But he also couldn't imagine a universe where he was not in love with Betty Cooper.

"Betty, if you weren't all those things anymore, I don't know if you would be you," he replied, not sure what the real answer to her question would be. Betty didn't seem to like that answer.

"Whatever is going on inside of me is not kind or caring. What if I'm just suppressing the real Betty Cooper? What if I don't even know who that is?" Betty seemed more determined now, finally coming across a personal truth for herself, no matter how uncomfortable it was. Jughead pushed down a smile, but he was proud of her. Looking into your own dark side and standing your ground? If anyone knew how tough that was, it was Jughead.

"Maybe we both don't know," he said, taking her cheek into his hand, stroking it gently. "But I can be here for you if you need to find out."

Betty smiled at that, leaning into his touch and kissing the inside of his palm. Jughead became instantly aware of how close their bodies were to one another, warring with himself on how much closer he should allow himself to be to her. This was a vulnerable moment for Betty and he didn't want to take advantage. The dilemma seemed muddied even more, however, as the blonde closed the gap between them and captured his lips with hers. Jughead moaned, wrapping his arms around the love of his life as she climbed into his lap, her calves sliding against the outside of his thighs. Betty had never once tried something like this with him and Jughead wondered if they should stop. She was crying just moments before. As she raked her hands roughly through his dark hair, plunging her tongue into his groaning mouth, Jughead had very little blood left his brain to contemplate anything. His hands found the hem of her shirt and under it, sliding up along her flat stomach and Betty gasped against his lips. She arched into him and as Jughead found her bra, Betty quickly removed her shirt, throwing it to the floor. She added Jughead's jacket and sweater to that pile, giving them both better access to each others' bodies.

Before Jughead had a chance to move, Betty quickly turned them both, pushing him to the couch. As Betty braced herself on his chest, eyes of fire and hair eschew, Jughead could barely breath. She was by far the most attractive thing he had ever seen, even if all of this was very out of character for her. And it was acknowledging the out of character nature that brought him back to the real world. Betty might be consenting, but Jughead did not want her to ever regret anything that happened between them. He had to stop this. Jughead quickly placed his hands on her shoulders as Betty moved to kiss him once more.

"Betty," he said quickly, trying to snap her out of it. Betty smirked, biting her lip. Oh, dear Lord.

"Yes, Juggie?" Her voice was breathy in a way that made Jughead's own breath catch in his throat. Betty seemed to notice the affect she had on him, slowly removing his hands from her shoulders, intertwining their fingers and moving to kiss his neck. As her lips made contact, Jughead's eyes closed. Maybe there's nothing to be concerned about...

No, no, no! Follow through, man! Push past the Sexy Betty. Somehow.

"I think we should stop," Jughead blurted out loudly. Betty jolted up, surprised.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

It took a few moments, but Betty nodded. She slowly got off of Jughead, giving him the ability to sit up with her. The blonde breathed deeply, trying to slow her heart and the brunette sitting next to her did the same. While Betty avoided eye contact, Jughead sought hers out, trying to know what she was thinking.

"Sorry," Betty finally whispered.

"What for?" Jughead asked. Betty shifted uncomfortably, still avoiding eye contact.

"For just… attacking you like that. That couldn't have been, well, comfortable." Jughead took Betty's head in his hands, forcing her to look into his blue-green eyes once more. Her own blue eyes reflected a rejection that made Jughead's heart sink into his stomach.

"That was not me complaining, Betts. In fact, I was having a very hard time concentrating on anything else with you being so...so..."

"Brazen?"

"I was going to say sexy, but brazen works." Betty's cheeks flushed a red hue and Jughead laughed at how easily Betty could go from the vixen straddling him on the couch to the girl blushing intensely because her boyfriend called her 'sexy.' "What brought out this new side, do you think?"

"I don't know. I saw what I wanted in that moment and instead of waiting for someone else to act, I grabbed it." Jughead hummed in satisfaction, smirking. She wanted him. What a time to be alive. His hands moved to her neck and shoulders instead of her face, stroking the skin he found there with his thumbs.

"If you enjoyed it, why did you stop me?" Betty asked tentatively, obviously waiting to be rejected.

"I need you to know, Betty Cooper, that if I had my way, we would already be completely naked," he said and watched as she flushed once again. "But you were so vulnerable before. I wasn't looking to take advantage of you. I wanted you to really think about why you were doing what you were doing."

"Yeah. You know, that just wasn't…. me."

"It could be. And anytime you want to practice that side of you, I'm here," Jughead said, grinning. Betty smiled then too, moving to snuggle into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I might take you up on that, Jughead Jones," the blonde whispered into his chest. What a time to be alive, indeed. They sat there, eventually moving to lie down on the couch together. Jughead retrieved a blanket and they spent their first night together on that ratty couch in the South Side trailer park. Betty certainly did not seem to believe she was slumming it when she cuddled closer to Jughead, allowing him to rub her back until she fell asleep. Sleep would come later for the brunette as he stared at the blonde in his arms, only after he had finished imaging what their future could look like together in dozens of different ways. They were only fantasies, sure, but maybe a few of them could come true. If a girl like Betty Cooper could love a guy like Jughead Jones, anything was possible. Their sleep would be interrupted early in the morning by a phone call from Archie Andrews, saying only one thing: My Dad has been shot, please come down to the hospital. And they would. But for now, they dreamed soundly, unaware of what was to come.

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AN: Hope you enjoyed. :) Review, por favor!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: So much love to my readers out there and especially to the ones that reviewed. :) Makes my heart happy. Special shout out to itsBeckChadwick, my Beta who is amazing and tries to keep me in line! :D Key word there is tries. Any mistakes are mine, never theirs!

The light coming in from the sheer curtains in Jughead's trailer shone on Betty Cooper's face early the next morning. She reluctantly awoke, rubbing her eyelids and stretching over the edge of the torn couch that Betty and Jughead had spent the night on. The blanket that her boyfriend had retrieved from the night before scratched her lightly as she moved, but in an oddly comforting manner. The trailer remained dark with only the sun streaming through the curtains to enliven the room, seeming to touch only the two of them, as if blessing their emotional union from the night before. Looking down to find herself in only a bra was a bit of a shock, but simultaneously finding Jughead without a shirt elicited a happy intake of breath. They had not lost very many articles of clothing with each other on previous occasions of making out and Betty marveled at the man she loved. Her hand gently slid over Jughead's slender but muscled body, delighting in the grooves and dips she found along his chest and arms. He was perfect.

Taking a moment to remember where she was, the previous night came flooding back: every second, every detail. Both of them had expressed very real concerns for the other, and their worries did not stop last night, not by a long shot. Jughead was still thinking of joining the Serpents, much to Betty's frustration and Betty still had a problem with coming to terms with her demons. Nothing had really changed. But somehow in learning that Jughead was willing to walk her through whatever was happening, Betty felt emboldened to not just stand up to said demons but tackle them in the streets. She felt stronger.

The blonde looked upon the snoring man by her side with fondness, his dark hair splayed messily across his alabaster skin. They had shifted on the ratty loveseat during their sleep, Jughead on his back with Betty sprawled across his body. Trying to ignore the intimacy of their bodies touching one another, Betty chose to focus on how her boyfriend's mouth had opened slightly while in sleep and a small drool puddle landed on one of the well worn cushions in the couch. She giggled to herself, knowing she had material for months of teasing and used one finger to try and close the faucet that was Jughead's mouth. This only succeeded in surprising the boy underneath her who snorted himself awake in the next moment, green eyes wide and blinking. Jughead spotted Betty and smiled, stretching his body as much as possible on the small sofa. His girlfriend watched as his muscles shifted under his skin, biting her lip to hide the grin threatening to burst onto her cheeks.

"Good morning," he rasped out, clearing his throat soon after. A few sparrows began chirping outside the windows of their secluded room, signalling the beginning of a new day. And what a day it would be.

"Morning, Juggie," Betty all but sighed, snuggling into his side so that he could wrap his arms around her.

"What time is it?" the brunette asked groggily, yawning into his girlfriend's' hair. Betty shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure you were the one who fell asleep with his phone in his pocket."

"Or maybe I am just happy to see you," Jughead quipped, waggling his eyebrows intensely. Betty rolled her eyes but could not help the chuckle that escaped. What a goofball. Jughead took the time to ruffle through his pants, doing his best to figure out where his phone went. The couch squeaked underneath him and Betty braced herself, trying not the fall over the edge.

"Got it!" he exclaimed, opening the screen. "It's 9:45 am, by the way. Wait, how do I have ten missed calls?"

"From who?"

"Archie."

"Why is he calling you? Did he call all last night?" Jughead shook his head.

"They were all this morning, within a minute of each other. There's a voicemail, just a second." Jughead placed the phone up to his ear and Betty leaned in, trying to hear as well. After about twenty seconds, Jughead hurriedly sat up, throwing off the blanket and gently pushing Betty to sitting as well. "We have to go."

"What's going on?"

"Archie's dad is in the hospital. He's been shot."

The world began to run in slow motion. Betty watched as Jughead slowly reached for his sweater, as well as her own, lightly draping it on her knee. All she could do was sit still, mouth open like a fish. Who could have done this? Why had they done this? Why now? Why Archie? In noticing the vacant look on Betty's face, Jughead took her face in his hands.

"Look at me, Betts," Jughead demanded firmly and Betty slowly moved her eyes in his direction.

"Who would do that?" Betty asked, eyes still dazed.

"Gotta snap out of it, Betty. This is not the time. We can ask all the questions we want but Archie is at the hospital and he needs us to be there." While it took a second for the message to sink in, Betty quickly nodded, breaking herself from her daze. "He also wants you to get in touch with Veronica."

"Veronica, why?"

"She's not picking up her phone. He told me to get in touch with you, to get in touch with her."

While that sounded odd, Betty supposed it made sense. Jughead really didn't know Veronica outside of the four of them. There would be no reason for him to call her on his own. Betty put on the shirt Jughead had given her and quickly found the trench coat she abandoned the night before, putting it on as well. Grabbing her phone from inside, Betty quickly dialed Veronica's number, only to sigh upon hearing her voicemail.

"Not picking up for me either. How about I go and see if I can track her down?" Betty asked, and Jughead nodded.

"Sure, makes sense. I'll head to the hospital-"

"And I'll check Pembrooke."

As they headed outside, Betty vaguely noticed that Jughead had found and put on his beanie. The beanie always represented a sort of comfort and stability that he would need in a situation like this, and Betty's heart clenched at his need for it. Fred, after all, was like a second father to him. The cold whipped around them upon exiting the trailer, the snow on the ground presenting an unspoiled world that the two of them didn't belong to anymore. Trekking down the stairs outside, Betty stopped Jughead on their last step, pulling him into a fierce hug that knocked the wind from him.

"It's ok, Juggie," she said softly and Jughead visibly relaxed in her arms, the couple realizing in that moment how tense he was. He returned her hug with the same veracity.

"Thanks, Betts," was his only reply as he pulled away, his face unreadable. He gently brushed a kiss onto her forehead in goodbye before taking off running in the direction of the hospital. Betty hoped she would find Veronica easily, beginning her own journey to the Pembrooke.

The Pembrooke always made Betty feel underdressed, columns outside its copper doors reflecting the streets in their pristine manilla tones. She could be wearing a ball gown, and the antique lantern lighting the outside would expose her for what she really was: middle class. Betty might not be poor, but she would never have Veronica Lodge money. It didn't help Betty was still in last nights'... everything. Her tired face reflected off those doors as she opened them carefully, afraid of damaging them just by touching the reflective surface. Walking into the earth tone lobby did nothing to make her feel like less of a street urchin. The solid wood floors echoed as her sneakers padded across them, cylindrical lights lining her path to the elevator. The scent of the lilies hit her at full force from within their glass vases and Betty wondered when she stopped being allergic to lilies, or if money was truly that magical.

Even the elevator shone with such a pure quality and Betty was sure she could see bags under her eyes being cast back from its surfaces. She tried smoothing her hair down a bit, but quickly gave up. Pressing number three, the blonde rapidly found herself staring down the hallway to Veronica Lodge's apartment: Apartment 305. The hand woven carpet made no sound under her feet as she made her way to the front door. Her hands itched to run her fingers along the shiny surface of the numbers she found there, restraining her impulse and choosing to knock on the clean, white door instead. Veronica was the one to open the door, dressed in her usual pearls and black knee length dress. Her face did not reflect happiness upon seeing Betty, scowling instead as she narrowed her eyes. Betty supposed it was understandable given the circumstances. Still, it was unnerving.

"What are you doing here, Betty?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Betty exclaimed, wanting to smile at her friend but deterred by the look on her face. Instead of inviting Betty in as usual, Veronica crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door frame. "I'm here to get you so that we can go to the hospital. Did you lose your phone charger or something?"

"I'm not going to the hospital, B."

"That's ridiculous, of course you are," Betty said, feeling suddenly very awkward that they were having this conversation in her doorway. "Can I come in?"

Veronica's glower told her that she absolutely did not want that, but she stepped aside nonetheless, allowing Betty to walk through the door and into the apartment. The blonde was always amazed at how clean the place was for how much white furniture they had. The paintings hung up along the walls reflected a natural life that Betty found to be odd in that moment, juxtaposed by Veronicas' unusually dead eyes. Betty thought about sitting on the lush, white furniture but decided she favored standing instead, watching as her best friend looked upon her with frustration.

"Betty, I'm not sure if you want to stay. This isn't going to take long."

"Obviously it is. Why aren't you coming down?" Veronica sighed, reluctantly closing the door.

"I need to wait for my mother. She must have left earlier this morning. I have to talk to her."

"What? No, you need to be at the hospital with your boyfriend."

"This is important, B."

"I don't care. It's more important to be comforting the guy you're with. Can you even imagine what he's going through?"

"He'll be fine. He has you, he has Jughead-"

"Of course he has me and Jughead! He's always had us, ever since kindergarten. But now you are apart of us too." Betty's voice was beginning the raise, signaling to herself that she was on a very dangerous precipice between calm Betty and self-harming Betty. She tried taking a breath to quell the darkness but Veronica's scoff brought it back to the forefront.

"This is not a black and white situation, Betty. It's not automatically good for me to be at the hospital and automatically bad for me to stay home, waiting for my parents. Don't act like such a child all the time." Veronica was beginning to become angry herself, Betty could tell. What she had to be angry about, the blonde wasn't sure but being referred to as a child did nothing to dampen the darkness within. Betty's jaw clenched, trying not clench her fists instead.

"That's where you're wrong, V. Because no matter what you think you're doing here that's important, if you stay home right now Archie might never forgive you. He is the most trusting person I have ever met and when someone breaks that trust, he does not forgive easily. He needs you right now." Veronica's eyes softened at the mention of her boyfriend's name, her body relaxing but not quite giving in.

"No, B. My dad is coming home today-"

"See him later!"

"My mother and I need to talk-"

"Do it another time!"

"You aren't listening to me! I can't go." Veronica's anger fed into Betty's, Betty clenching her fists without realizing what she was doing. Veronica was not normally this unfeeling and Betty couldn't understand what was happening. The coldness encompassing Veronica's face stoked a fire inside Betty, her blue eyes radiating the anger she felt. As Veronica continued to stand there, emotionless, the fire grew bigger. Betty could feel her nails begin to cut through her flesh, willing herself to unclench her fists. Her hands shook, needing an outlet for the anger and frustration caused by what happened to Archie's dad, doubled with Veronica's uncaring nature. None of it made sense. Before she knew what was happening, the heel of Betty's palm slammed into Veronica's tan wall, shaking the forestry painting hanging there and causing Veronica to gasp. When she removed her hand, a small dent was left. Before she had time to feel remorse for her action, Betty rounded on Veronica, the brunette's eyes wide in shock and fear.

"You don't have to come. But you need to know something," Betty was calm then, suddenly very sure and confident in a way that she was not used to. "If you don't follow me to the hospital right now, you will not just lose Archie, you will lose me as well. I can't be, will not be friends with someone who doesn't want to be there when their friends need them the most."

"You just put a dent in my wall-"

"And I'll fix it." Betty opened the door to the apartment. "Veronica, you can't just choose when you want to be a friend and when you don't. Are you coming or not?"

Though the shock and fear still reflected in Veronica's dark eyes, she began moving again, grabbing her coat and placing it around her small frame. Veronica did not make eye contact as she exited through the door, Betty closing it behind the both of them. As they made their way to the lobby of the Pembrooke, Betty tried to understand the actions she just took. She had threatened others before, her mind going to Cheryl and Chuck, but physical violence was not something she was used to expressing. The darkness had receded for now, and Betty supposed it had been adequately fed by the savagery it just experienced. This did not make Betty feel better about herself, instead churning her stomach in a way that made her want to throw up on the expensive carpet in the hallway. She knew she couldn't just be violent or use sex whenever the darkness began to take over, but that was all Betty had at the moment. She vowed to do a little internal digging to see how else the darkness might be satiated so that Betty didn't just go around putting holes in people's walls. Entering the glassy elevator, Veronica finally glanced in her direction before looking away again.

"You are becoming quite the godfather type, aren't you, Betty Cooper?"

Her stomach churned again. She supposed she was.

AN: Would love some feedback. Review, please!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thank you so much for reading, and especially to those who review! itsBeckChadwick is a beautiful human being who looks over my stuff and makes it better! All my mistakes are my own. Enjoy all. :)

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Riverdale Hospital sat in the center of their thriving metropolis, happily catering to both the North and South Side of town. It was the largest structure the city had, taking up an entire city block and six stories high, its clean manilla covering beaconing to all who were sick and injured. Jughead never thought that they had enough people in town to fill the monstrosity of a building, but the hospital never had to downsize or close, so they must have been doing something right. Or Riverdale was doing something very wrong.

While Jughead had never considered himself a jogger, running through town towards said building made him realize it was time to make it a habit. Not just because Jughead was quickly winded, though there was that, but because it allowed for his thoughts to flow in a manner he had never experienced. As soon as Jughead's sneakers began hitting pavement, the reality of the situation started to close in. Someone had shot Fred Andrews, the most wholesome member of Riverdale. That man was the closest thing this town had to purity and someone had tarnished it. Jughead shook his head. Correction. That man _is_ the closest thing this town has to purity. Not was.

Jughead practically ran into the automatic doors to Riverdale Hospital before slipping inside. The hustle and bustle on the inside did not reflect its serene exterior, doctors and nurses always on the run, scrubs flapping around them. It's stark white walls and equipment added to the chaos, the staff rushing by the white looking as if they were on fast forward. Jughead narrowly missed crashing into a crash cart as it sped down the hallway to the ER, the irony of which was not lost on him. All seemed too busy to bother with the teenager actively seeking Fred Andrews' room, except for one unlucky nurse caught between patients.

"Fourth floor, Room 406," the rather skinny woman in blue scrubs told him hurriedly, moving into Room 145 to take care of her patients. Dodging around the ones saving lives on the fourth floor, Jughead finally found the room. Stepping inside made his stomach drop to his knees. There was Fred, a man who helped raise him, strapped to a host of machines that surrounded his hospital bed, beeping loudly. His eyes were closed, but his chest was moving. Fred had always been a powerhouse of a man, taking care of his son as a single dad and making sure Jughead had what he needed even when his own father couldn't give it to him. Jughead never felt like he deserved the kindness that was bestowed on him by the Andrews, but it never stopped them from showing it. Fred was a hero and this was the first time that Jughead saw him as someone less than perfect, someone breakable. He wasn't aware that this was even possible.

"Jughead." Hearing his name from the other side of the room caused Jughead to noticed his redheaded friend for the first time. Tears had just finished flowing down Archie's face, evidenced by Archie doing his best to wipe them as quickly as possible. Jughead could feel his lower lip quiver, eyes tearing up as he watched his friend try and save his dignity. The brunette waited for as long as he could before rushing to Archie, tackling him in a hug the likes of which neither of them had felt before.

"I thought we didn't hug," Archie said, returning the physical affection without hesitation.

"Yeah, well, we do now," Jughead whispered, clinging to him in a way he never thought he would. Archie and Jughead were always able to maintain a clear emotional distance from one another that both of them felt was masculine and appropriate. Thankfully, traditional masculinity and proprietary tended to fly away during times like this. Instead, they were both transported to a time when they were in kindergarten, before masculinity became important, before they cared what other people thought and far before their superhero Fred was shot. But they were unable to stay five years old forever.

Pulling back completely, Jughead realized his own face was wet with tears and turned briefly to wipe them away. Archie took the opportunity to sit on the lone blue couch near the single window the small hospital room offered. Sunlight peeked in from behind the blinds, reminding Jughead of how he woke up: Betty snuggled to his side, laughing over the drool he left on the couch. The memory seemed far away, much farther away than just a few hours ago. It was almost as if Jughead had two lives, the happier, more carefree life before he received that phone call from Archie, and the life he had now, veiled in a darkness that did not match the sunlight currently trying to shine through the window. Jughead closed the curtains, trying to block out the light before joining Archie on the couch.

"It wasn't even meant for him," Archie said softly, idly rubbing the cast on his right wrist.

"What wasn't?"

"The bullet. This was just someone robbing Pop's and he just shot my dad out of…. I don't know. But the bullet wasn't meant for him." Jughead hoped Archie was right, but part of him knew that there was something bigger going on than what either one of them understood. A disease had infiltrated Riverdale and no one was quite sure how to get rid of it. Maybe they couldn't.

"Any news of how he's doing?"

"Yeah, he's going into surgery today. It'll take a while."

"Has he woken up?"

"No, he hasn't been awake since the…" Archie trails off and Jughead nods, knowing what he was referring to. As hard as this was on Jughead, it must have been a nightmare on Archie, having to relive his father's shooting in his head over and over. He needed a distraction.

"Have you eaten yet today?" Jughead asked.

"No, not yet."

"Let's go get some food. Get you out of here. Pop's is just down the street," Jughead offered and immediately cursed himself, seeing the pained look on Archie's face. Why the hell would Archie want to go to Pop's right now? Jughead felt like an idiot. "I mean, not Pop's. We can get food anywhere. There are plenty of places around."

"You aren't thinking of leaving without me, are you?" Veronica asked suddenly from the doorframe, wearing a smile meant only for Archie. Archie's head popped up at the sound of her voice, surprised etched on his features.

"Veronica," Archie breathed her name as she slowly walked towards him. Her expensive black boots were covered in snow, but Veronica was otherwise in flawless form in her pearls and straight hair. Archie and Veronica's eyes locked into one another's, and Jughead suddenly felt like he was intruding.

"Where's Betty? Did she come to get you?" Jughead asked, breaking the spell between the two. Veronica's eyes darkened, landing on Jughead. He had never seen someone look at him so coldly, causing a shiver to slide up his spine. Certainly, he never saw it from Veronica.

"Yes. Betty came to get me. I don't know where she is now," Veronica clipped before turning her attention back to her boyfriend. The ice in her eyes melted as she ran her hand through Archie's red hair, smiling as Archie closed his eyes and sighed.

"How are you, Archiekins?" she asked him softly.

"Ok. All things considered," he said softly, opening his eyes to stare into Veronica's once more. Jughead was starting to feel more and more like the third wheel, excusing himself to move into the hallway. The two of them barely noticed, Veronica taking his place on the couch and cuddling much closer to Archie than he had.

Stepping into the hallway, Jughead noticed that the usually bustling hospital seemed to have calmed. The staff moved more slowly, and Jughead felt like he was no longer in danger of running into any of them as he stood outside Fred's room. The brunette checked his phone, taking it from his back pocket: no messages from Betty. Puzzled, Jughead couldn't help calling her cellphone, and he exhaled in relief when Betty picked up.

"Hey, Jughead," she answered, listlessly.

"Betty, where are you? Veronica just got here. Why weren't you with her? Did something happen?" Jughead heard Betty sigh on the other end.

"I'm actually on the first floor of the hospital."

"What, why?" Jughead heard Betty's sharp intake of breath.

"I did something… strange when I was over at Veronica's apartment."

"Strange?"

"Strange like bad. I did something bad."

"Bad how?"

"Bad like… I punched Veronica's wall." That might have been the last thing Jughead expected Betty to say to him. He narrowed his eyes, struggling for something to say. His mouth hung open like a fish. "Hello?"

"I'm still here, Betts. I think I need to talk to you in person. Why are you in the lobby?"

"Veronica didn't want me to come up with her. We didn't talk hardly at all, walking to the hospital and then she told me to stay here. It was like there was an 'or else' attached to it." Jughead could practically hear her chewing her lip from over the phone.

"Because you punched her wall." One of the doctors walking past must have caught the conversation. He looked quizzically at Jughead, and the boy in the beanie averted his eyes, covering his face with his free hand.

"I don't know what happened, Jug. Veronica said she wasn't coming to the hospital and I lost it. She wouldn't tell me why!"

"I'm… I'm not really sure what to do in this situation, Betty."

"Me either."

"Ok. I'll… I guess I'll talk to Veronica?" Jughead could not think of the last time he had to mediate between two girls. It might have been never. Being Jellybean's brother didn't prepare him for this.

"Would you? That would be great, Jug!"

"Yeah, that's what I'll do. This is weird, Betty."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I'll talk to you soon." As Jughead hung up the phone and placed it in his back pocket, he glanced at Veronica from the doorway. She seemed normal, smiling with Archie, trying to make him laugh. They giggled to themselves and Veronica fiddled with her pearls, as usual. Then again, that look she gave him when he asked Veronica about Betty was the coldest Jughead had ever seen her. Just the mention of Betty's name was enough to send her into glacier mode. Still, the three of them needed to at least pretend to be a cohesive group right now, for Archie's sake.

"Hey, Veronica. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Jughead asked from the door frame. Veronica looked to her boyfriend, asking with her eyes if it was ok for her to leave him. He nodded and Veronica joined Jughead in the hallway. As soon as she was outside the hospital room, out of Archie's eye line, Veronica's body language changed: she crossed her arms over her chest, widened her stance and narrowed her eyes. And it was all for Jughead. He could already tell this was a bad idea, surprising himself at how much Veronica scared him. But once again, Archie needed all of them right now. Together. "So, I talked to Betty-"

"And she told you what happened."

"Sort of. She said she punched your wall? Is that right?" He still couldn't believe he was saying those words.

"Yes." Veronica responded, and Jughead waited. She merely tilted her head, frowning, obviously not going to add anything on her own.

"You want to fill in the gaps for me?"

"You tell me, Jughead. What's going on with her?" Jughead sighed, adjusting his beanie as he thought about her question. He wasn't too sure how much Betty wanted him to tell Veronica. Or, for that matter, how much Jughead even had to tell. Betty was going through something, that was obvious to everyone, but putting it to words was proving difficult.

"I don't know, Ronnie," Jughead said, lamely. It wasn't a complete lie, just enough of one to make Veronica's perfectly waxed eyebrow shoot up in disbelief.

"Jughead, you have been the one that Betty has gone to before anyone else around here, before Archie and somehow, before me as well. And that's fine," she said. Jughead could tell it wasn't. "But if she's going far enough off the deep end that she's attacking my place of residence, I'm going to need a little more than 'I don't know.'"

Jughead nodded. It couldn't have been easy for Veronica to be passed over for a boyfriend at every turn, but she seemed to be handling it well. She just wanted to know what was going on.

"You're right," he said, finally. "You deserve more than what you're getting. I just don't know how much I have to tell. You need to be talking to Betty about it."

"Well, I can't do that right now," she said.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Are we back in first grade? Because!" Veronica practically growled the last word. Jughead could feel his body tensing in anger. This girl wasn't budging an inch.

"Let's try something else," Jughead said, his face starting to set into his signature snarl. "Why didn't you want to come to see Archie today?"

"Betty told you that."

"Yeah, she did. Anything to add?"

"That's none of your business, Jughead. You know what? None of this is your business. Why don't you just go wait with Betty and I can take care of Archie?" Jughead shook his head, his lips almost glued together out of his determination to not yell at this raven haired girl.

"I never thought someone like you could ever be jealous of someone like me." Veronica's body flinched, as if startled. She stared at Jughead in shock.

"I'm not jealous of you," she said quietly.

"So it doesn't bother you that Betty only ever comes to me? That I'm the only one that she's been talking to about what's going on?"

"You're her boyfriend."

"You're her best friend."

"Maybe not," Veronica said offhand, maybe even without realizing it.

"What does that mean?"

"Everything you just said," she responded, her voice cracking ever so slightly. If Jughead didn't know Veronica, he could swear her eyes were starting to redden. "Maybe she doesn't need me. She didn't say anything while we walked here. She didn't try and explain. But YOU instantly know what's going on with her. YOU are the one she's talking to right now. Maybe I'm not the best friend anymore."

Veronica lowered her head, obviously frustrated, and Jughead could see her shoulders start to shake. Her arms remained crossed over herself, her body language still tight and it all made her look far weaker than Jughead had ever seen her, far weaker than she ever wanted to look. Jughead was totally unprepared for a crying Veronica and that knowledge kept him rooted to his spot, afraid and unable to comfort her. As he heard the soft sounds of cries, Jughead tried placing a hand on her shoulder. It might not be much, but it was certainly better than just staring at her. She stopped shaking almost immediately, as if suddenly aware of his presence. The sounds of her tears become more dispersed. Veronica tried wiping the tears from her face before looking up at him again. Jughead marveled at how well her makeup had stayed, no streaking in sight. She took a few deep breaths before speaking again.

"I was just trying to protect Archie," she said, her voice weak. It was painful to listen to.

"Protect Archie how?" he asked softly.

"I think my parents shot Fred."

"Oh. Shit," was the only thing Jughead could think to say, finally dropping his hand from her shoulder.

"Yeah. They might not have pulled the trigger, exactly, but he is here because of them."

"How do you know?"

"I don't really. I was hoping to talk to them today and confront them. Betty had other plans."

Jughead nodded. "That makes sense."

"It does?" Veronica asked, obviously surprised. Jughead rolled his eyes.

"Hey. Just because Betty and I are together doesn't mean I think she's right all the time." Veronica's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, which only made him chuckle. "It's true, Ronnie! Trying to put her hand through your wall? Come on."

"I'd have to agree." Jughead smiled and Veronica returned it. Her arms finally uncrossed themselves, falling to her sides.

"I think you should ask Betty about what's happening. She's going through some things and it might be time for you guys to talk."

"Is she ok?" Veronica anger was falling away, leaving only concern.

"I think she'll be ok. She could use her best friend. And it sounds like her best friend could use her, too." Veronica nodded, before chuckling to herself.

"You're pretty good with this girl stuff, Jug," Veronica commented, smirking.

"I am a man of many talents, Ronnie," Jughead responded, smirking back. "It does, however, work up an appetite. Still want to join us for food?"

"How about I go and get something for all of us instead? That way you and Archie can get some quality guy time in."

"Some burping, scratching and talking about chicks?"

"Exactly!"

"Thanks, Ronnie," Jughead said, smiling warmly.

"No problem. Maybe I'll take Betty with me. Get some quality girl time in as well."

"I think that sounds like a good idea."

Veronica said goodbye to her boyfriend, waved briefly at Jughead and flitered away to grab cheeseburgers and milkshakes. Jughead returned to his best friend's side, leaning back into the blue couch. The emotionality of the past twenty-four hours was starting to get to him, and his eyelids were starting to droop. As great as it had been spending the night with Betty on that couch, it did not lead to a very deep sleep. Jughead fought the urge to close his eyes.

"Did you ever find Betty?" Archie asked.

"Yeah, she was just in the bathroom. Girl issues. She and Ronnie are grabbing the food together," he responded. Archie didn't need to know that Jughead had just repaired the B and V friendship, and especially that Veronica was not going to come down the hospital or that her parents might be responsible for Fred being shot. That can wait until later. Much later.

The phone call Jughead received next was a surprise to him, especially since it was from the Riverdale jailhouse. He answered the collect call in front of Archie but chose not to reveal much of the conversation, especially since F.P. kept it short: come down and talk to me, Betty is in trouble. Jughead struggled to keep his face even, but he managed, inserting various listening noises and trying to lean as far from Archie as possible. With an agreement to visit his father the next day (when the jails were open), Jughead hung up the phone. When Archie asked about it, Jughead shrugged.

"Guess it's father/son day at the jailhouse," the brunette said, deciding to close his eyes this time and settling into the couch. Maybe he would take a nap. It looks like he might need it.

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AN: Please review! Would love to know your thoughts. :)


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thank you guys! Pretty stoked people are reading. :) Once again, itsBeckChadwick, my Beta, does their best to try and not allow me to go off the deep end. With our powers combined, a chapter is produced! THANK YOU so much to you people who reviewed. I super appreciate all comments in review form. :) Enjoy!

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Fred Andrews was still in surgery when Veronica tried convincing Archie to leave the hospital later that evening. All of them stood in the waiting room, the various shades and hues of blue popping out in every direction. All except Archie, anyway. He had collapsed into one of the many dark blue, plush waiting room chairs. His tall frame engulfed the navy furniture. Betty remembered reading that blue was supposed to be a calming color. None of them looked very calm, their hair in various levels of disarray from nerves, clothes wrinkled from sitting and standing and sitting again.

"Go home. Eat. Change. Rest," Veronica told the redhead but Archie shook his head.

"I can't go home right now. Not without dad. I don't even want to think about-" Archie took a breath, stopping himself from imagining the house he grew up in without his father. Betty didn't want to imagine it either. How often had she come over after school, Fred waiting and immediately inviting her to dinner? Every night. "I'm staying here tonight. Just in case."

The 'in case' hung in the air between the four of them. Betty shuddered, watching as Veronica cleared her throat and Jughead averted his eyes. None of them wanted to know what that meant. In case. Veronica looked uneasy, as if she did not know what to do next, as if she had never done this before. Betty guessed that she hadn't.

"Do I stay?" she whispered to Betty. The blonde shrugged her shoulders, equally at a loss. She wasn't sure what else could be done for Archie at this time of night. What time was it? Betty checked her phone: 9:30pm. Every one of them had school the next day, and they had already been with Archie since the morning.

"I don't want you guys to stay," Archie said emphatically, and Veronica exhaled loudly. Jughead frowned.

"You sure?" Jughead asked, his voice soft. Betty peered fondly at her boyfriend. She knew he would stay if Archie asked him. Heck, she knew that if Archie asked him to go to Greendale for a pack of gum right now, Jughead would do it in a heartbeat. Archie nodded at his best friend, smiling.

"Are we still hugging?" Archie asked as he stood, and Jughead grinned, pulling him into a giant bear hug. The embrace reminded Betty of the ones they all shared as children, before they grew up. Before Riverdale became the mess it was. Before Fred Andrews had to have surgery because of a bullet. Betty felt her eyes begin to water and her chest constricted. Just as the guys had a chance to break away, she threw herself on the two of them. They laughed, steadying themselves from falling over because of the sudden weight and both Archie and Jughead wound their arms around Betty's shoulders. She could feel Archie's shoulder pressed into her left cheek and Jughead's forehead on her ear. Just like old times.

"Room for one more?" Veronica asked and Betty immediately broke away to allow her the spot next to Archie. Veronica fit in amidst them as if she had always been there, hair brushing Archie's chin. None of them spoke as they embraced each other, but Betty could hear Archie sniffling. Jughead tightened his grip on the redhead. In case.

Betty and Jughead bid Veronica good luck on confronting her parents, as the three of them stood outside Riverdale Hospital.

"Are you are going to be ok?" Veronica asked Betty softly. Betty knew what she was talking about. They talked for quite a while about what happened at Veronica's apartment over those burgers. Betty finally showed Veronica her scars and she had reacted as any best friend should: extreme sympathy and apologizing for things she had no business apologizing for. Veronica revealed why she didn't want to be at the hospital with Archie. They had hugged and promised to never keep secrets from the other ever again. Who knows if either of them really meant it.

"Yeah. I'll be ok," Betty replied.

"Will you call me?"

"Of course I'll call you."

They hugged before Veronica waved goodbye and walked in the opposite direction of Betty's home. Jughead took Betty's hand, putting both of their hands in his jacket pocket to keep it warm as they made their way to the Cooper's residence. The snow on either side of their path shone in the moonlight, giving their trail a soft glow. They didn't talk, both not wanting to disturb the first moment of peace they've had all day. Betty could feel her heart swelling for Jughead in those moments: the moments that showed her that they could be quiet or share everything, that they could whip off each other's clothing or just hold each other, that they were able to depend on each other for everything. These were the moments that made Betty realize she had loved Jughead. Reaching the Cooper's, Jughead took Betty's hand from his pocket and kissed the knuckles.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Betty asked in a voice that feared waking her parents. Jughead lightly stroked her face with his other hand and she closed her eyes.

"I could come up if you want," he said, just as softly. Jughead let his forehead meet hers and they sighed together.

"My parents are here."

"Maybe through the window?" Betty couldn't help but smile.

"Mama Cooper might not be too keen on that."

"I honestly just want to hold you right now," he exhaled. "It's been such a shitty day. And this morning was..."

"Incredible." Betty grinned, recalling with him how they woke up in each other's' arms, half dressed and totally in love. Jughead placed both his hands on her lower back, pulling her towards him, foreheads still glued to one another. She let him.

"I want more of that."

"Me too."

"I don't want to talk to your parents right now."

"Me either."

"So... through the window?"

Betty had forgotten how difficult it was to break into her own bedroom. She had only ever done it once before, in Elementary school. Archie wanted to go to the train tracks to play around, and Betty's parents obviously didn't want her to join. She did it anyway, using the window to sneak out. When she tried sneaking back in, moving the latter back in place was difficult enough. Trying to open the window to her bedroom when she realized someone had locked it proved impossible. Betty had to try and sneak back in through the front door, and her mother spotted her. She was grounded for a month. Betty never tried to sneak in again, until now. Now, Betty had a handsome boyfriend who apparently knew how to jimmy locks on houses and windows. How or why he had this knowledge was not a subject of conversation. They merely slipped inside.

Jughead never looked like he belonged in Betty's very pink bedroom. His grey beanie, and black clothing tended to stand out amidst the girlie explosion that was the youngest Cooper's room. Betty rarely felt like she belonged there either, looking at the pink, the bedspread, the vanity and wondering briefly who they belonged to before recognizing them as her own. Betty opened her coat to hang it up before noticing Jughead was slowly opening and closing his fists.

"Here we are," he said, voice as low as possible. The last thing either one of them wanted was to be caught by Betty's mother. Betty took his nervous hands and intertwined them in hers.

"Yeah. Here we are."

She wasn't sure who made the first move but suddenly Betty Cooper's hand was under Jughead Jones's t-shirt, smiling as he groaned and clung to her neck and shoulders. Jughead had said he only wanted to hold her right now, but he certainly wasn't complaining in this moment. She told herself she just wanted to give him a proper thank you after helping with Veronica, but truthfully, she couldn't stop thinking about the brunette and how it felt to have his bare skin under her hands. True, it had only been about twenty-four hours since she had last touched him, but the itch was only growing stronger. Betty slid his beanie out of his hair and grasped at the locks found there. Jughead quickly slipped off his jacket to the floor.

His lips were on her neck and Betty could feel herself pulling him to her bed, her hands on his bare back lightly scratching the skin there. His hands were on her waist, then hips, his fingers clutching. They reached the bed and clumsily landed on top of it, Betty giggling slightly. She reached higher into his shirt before Jughead finally lifted his arms and the shirt came off. She tried tracing the muscles now exposed but Jughead's lips were on her neck again, his fingers stroking teasingly under the hem of her own shirt. Better gasped, closing her eyes.

"Betty," Jughead growled into her hair, causing Betty to moan.

Who knows how far they would have gone if they had hadn't been interrupted by a loud crashing happening above their heads. They both stopped when they heard it, looking up at the ceiling. The only thing above Betty's room was the attic. Another loud thud happened above them.

"Is that your parents?" Jughead asked, panting slightly. Betty herself was still trying to catch her breath.

"I don't know."

"Could someone be trying to break in?"

"Well, we did, so maybe it's not that hard."

The same thought occurred to the teenagers at the same time: they had to investigate. In that moment, the romance between them dissipated and Jughead put on his shirt and beanie quickly, both still staring at the ceiling. They were no longer Betty and Jughead, romantic partners; they were Betty and Jughead, mystery solving duo. They could hear someone yelling from above them. Betty grabbed Jughead's hand and slowly opened her bedroom door, peering left and right. No one was around, but the door to the attic was open. Betty used to hate being so near the stairs to the attic. She used to have nightmares when she was little about the door opening wide and quick, various monstrous creatures jumping out at her. She still hated going up to the attic, but it did not strike fear into her heart the way it did when she was little.

Betty was still holding Jughead's hands as they walked through the attic door, slowly climbing the stairs. They only went up a few steps before they could hear distinctly who was in the attic: Alice and Hal. The single light bulb above their heads shone brightly, almost blinding as the two eavesdropped on the conversation. They both shielded their eyes from the light.

"I can't believe you don't care about this," Betty's mother said, tearfully. From the sound of it, Alice was searching hurriedly through some boxes in the attic, throwing various objects to the attic floor.

"It'll all turn out fine," Hal said. "We can keep her safe."

"How safe is she going to be with that Jones boy? They were out all night together, Hal!" Alice continued her search, causing more crashes and thuds. Betty looked to Jughead, his eyes as wide as hers.

"You're going to break something, Alice."

"I would think you'd want me to break all these things." The sounds of thuds and crashes stopped, Alice's heavy breathing the only thing heard for a few moments.

"Maybe it's time you tell her what's going on? Why she shouldn't see him?" Hal asked softly. Betty's face showed confusion as she looked at Jughead. Jughead did not seem nearly as confused, but certainly no less distraught. Were her parents trying to break them up? "She already knows about your son. It won't be that bad."

"And when she finds out he's only her half brother?"

Betty gasped, much louder than she thought she would, instantly covering her mouth. Jughead looked at her in shock, knowing what Betty knew: they'd just been caught. Alice and Hal's conversation stopped. The sound of footsteps began.

"Is there someone there?" Alice asked tentatively. Betty looked at Jughead and mouthed a single word: Run. She knew that catching Betty eavesdropping would not be great but catching the two of them? After her parents seemed so intent on breaking them up? This would be even worse. Jughead seemed to be thinking the same thing, lifting the hand he was still holding and kissing it before fleeing the scene as quietly as possible. The footsteps came closer and closer, until finally Alice's head appeared.

"Betty?!" Betty smiled weakly.

"Hi, Mom."

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AN: All who review are my favorites! :)


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Happy for any of you reading and reviewing! And of course, grateful to an awesome Beta, ItsBeckChadwick. Such a helpful and encouraging presence!

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Physically escaping the Cooper's house was easy. Jughead just opened the window, climbed down the ladder and made a break for the Southside of town. This was something that he did frequently since beginning to date Betty. But leaving Betty to fend for herself against her parents was not so easy, especially considering how Alice was acting. Still, it was true that if he stayed, it would mean not just trouble for Jughead, but extra trouble for Betty. It could have even been the incentive Alice needed to break them up, once and for all. So, he left.

As he trekked through the suburban area that led to the Southside trailer park, Jughead thought about what he overheard Alice talking about. Betty hadn't told him that she had a half brother, or any brother for that matter. If Alice was the mother, as Jughead had already determined, then who was the father? Where was the kid now? Why did it mean that they had to break up? Maybe this was something F.P. could answer when he visited tomorrow.

Jughead sighed. He'd almost forgotten the cryptic message his father had sent him about Betty. Thanks for the warning, Dad! Glad to know Betty's in danger and because of his father's stupid mistakes, Jughead gets to wait to find out why. He knew that Betty was safe at the Cooper's so he didn't worry too hard. But still.

Entering the trailer park gave him the feeling of anxious comfort that he always felt when coming home: it might always be a train wreck, but the Southside was his home. Somehow being with Betty had yet to change this. Jughead had hoped it would, but having that one day at Southside High had proven to him that he was different than everyone at Riverdale. Like he needed to be reminded. Luckily, Betty still wanted to be with him, and he still wanted to be with her. And Jughead would do what it took to make sure it stayed that way.

Jughead realized he was automatically headed to his old trailer, though he knew where he was supposed to be staying for the night: with his new foster family, the Shields. Jughead had met them only a few days ago but they made it clear that they expected him to start sleeping over at their trailer. The Shields had a room ready just for him, they had told him, cleaned and ready to go. Jughead frowned just thinking about them. No one from the Southside should be as nice as they were, but they were the freaks of the trailer park. They were known for fostering children, able to handle frequent outbursts from these youths, and do it with a smile. For some reason, the Shields just exuded a perfection rarely found on the Southside of town. They were poor, yes, but still better functioning than most of the more well-off people in Riverdale. Jughead didn't buy it. He knew better than anyone that 'perfect' just meant 'hiding something.' But these people were going to be his temporary family, so Jughead convinced himself to make the most of it.

Shifting directions, he headed to the Shields' trailer which was more northwest than his own.

The outside had been painted a bright yellow, it's front door a deep crimson. It made the trailer stand out against the typical grey, black and green that most people went for, and Jughead was sure that the Shields liked it that way. Though it was only October, Christmas lights were hung all around the outside, framing the roof and windows. Jughead was unsure if they had just been put up or if they were left from last year. Either way it gave the outside a cheery glow that Jughead couldn't help but smile at. He knocked on the door, the door opening almost too quickly to reveal a pudgy woman in her late 40s. The woman quickly swept her curly brown hair to the side, displaying bright green eyes. She took one look at Jughead and smiled big, revealing all her teeth and gums.

"Jughead Jones! Where have you been, darlin'?" She asked, her southern drawl evident. Jughead had asked where she was from when meeting her, to which she replied, 'The best country in the world: Texas!' Her husband, Steve, had just shook his head at that. Steve was from Riverdale, Jughead had found out. Born and raised, apparently.

"Sorry, Fran. Had an emergency to take care of. My friend's father was in the hospital," Jughead replied, as the older woman quickly ushered him inside. Though small, the inside of the trailer was clean and well kept. Angel figurines were scattered about the entirety of it, ranging in size. While Jughead had thought they were a bit creepy upon first meeting the Shields, he was already getting used to them. Fran pointed to the coat rack and Jughead quickly shrugged out of his coat, placing it with the others.

"Is he okay?"

"So far. I hope it stays that way."

"Anything we can do, honey?"

"I'll let you know if he needs anything." Fran smiled again.

"Well, let's not just stand here! Are you hungry? We got some leftover lasagna in the fridge. Steve already ate his share before he went to work, so you can have whatever's left!" Fran lightly pushed Jughead into the kitchen area, and he found himself in one of the dining room chairs before he could respond.

"Actually, I ate at the hospital." Fran was already taking the lasagna out of the container and putting it on a plate.

"Nonsense, sweetheart. You're a stick of a boy. You need some meat on you." The plate went into the microwave without Jughead's say. He felt a bit helpless against Fran Shield's hospitality and Jughead imagined that Fran liked it that way. When she turned around and smiled at him again, he was sure of it. "You got school tomorrow?"

"Yep. First real day at Southside High," he replied, gruffness in his voice showing how nervous he was about it. Sure, he had done well when he tried it out last week, but Jughead felt like a different person now. A person with a Southside Serpent's jacket, a girlfriend who was starting to periodically freak out in huge ways and a father figure in the hospital. How did everything change so fast?

"Uh oh," Fran said, taking the lasagna out of the microwave. Her tone was genuinely concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"Starting at a new school in the middle of the year is…. Not great," Jughead replied, being as honest as possible without showing his hand. This family was feeding and housing him until his Dad was out of jail. They deserved that much, not that he trusted them with the real stuff. He didn't trust anyone with the real stuff. Well, except Betty, but she was different. Betty had always been different. Fran brought the lasagna and fork to his spot at the table. A glass of milk seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of him.

"Honey, I'm sorry we're out of the perimeter for Riverdale High," she said softly, and Jughead could tell that if she had a choice, Fran would move her semi permanent trailer to the other side of the trailer park. Whoever made this town's high school lines was an idiot. Who divides up a trailer park like that? Jughead dug into his lasagna, surprised at how good it was. And how hungry he was.

"Let me guess," she continued, "You got a girlfriend."

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Fran scoffed lightly, finally sitting with Jughead at the table.

"A boy like you? As handsome as you are, and that broody persona you put on? I imagine the girls flock to you."

Jughead simultaneously blushed and made an odd noise of disapproval. 'Broody persona?' This was not an act! This was Jughead's life! He chose not to argue with her, though. It was way too early to rock the boat.

"No. They don't. But one girl happened to give me a chance."

"What's her name?"

"Betty. Betty Cooper." Fran looked puzzled for a moment.

"Cooper? You talkin' bout that family that was all over the local news a few weeks ago?"

"That's the one."

"You sure you should be messin' with the likes of them? Looks to me that they might be one crayon short of a box, if you know what I mean."

Jughead stopped eating for a moment, staring at his half-eaten lasagna. He could feel himself getting tense, his face forming a snarl. Who was this woman to judge who he dated? Or the family that she came from? She didn't know the Coopers, or Betty; and she certainly didn't know Jughead. Not that he disagreed with her. The Coopers were nuts, no doubt about that. But the same could be said for his family. And Jughead knew how much idle gossip could hurt someone. Fran saw immediately what was happening, placing her hand on Jughead's arm.

"Honey, I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I don't know the Coopers. I shouldn't have spoken about them like that. I'm just feeling a little protective is all. Forgive me?" Jughead glanced up at her face, seeing the look of regret. He nodded briefly, not saying anything and went back to eating. For a short while, the only sounds in the kitchen were the fork scraping against the plate. Jughead could see Fran squirming, obviously uncomfortable with the silence.

"Do you have any friends at Southside?" she asked finally, leaving the table to start wiping down the counters around the kitchen.

"No."

"Well, don't worry, hun. You'll make 'em. A boy like you? Everyone'll flock to you." Jughead snorted. He couldn't help it. Fran was zero for two in guessing how people responded to him, now. If this woman expected him to be popular anywhere, she did not understand how things worked in the Jughead Jones world. Fran caught the snort with a look of surprise, focusing her attention on Jughead again.

"I'm serious!" she said. He snorted again. "Well now, that's just rude."

"I'm sorry, Fran. I know you're trying to be nice or supportive or whatever. But I wasn't exactly Homecoming King at Riverdale High, and I don't expect to be popular at Southside either."

Something happened to Fran's face then. Her eyes narrowed slightly and her mouth formed an emotionless line. It made her seem older than she was, more jaded than Jughead had seen her. Fran's entire posture changed in its tautness, her hands tensing around themselves as she stood up straighter. An icy chill went down his spine. He even stopped eating mid bite, fork stuck in the air in between his plate and slightly gaping mouth. Lasagna spilled out of the fork and back onto the plate. It would have been comical if Fran did not look so serious.

"Let me make one thing clear, Jughead Jones. Riverdale High might be full of people who do not understand you, and therefore do not like you but you aren't going to Riverdale anymore. You're going to Southside now. We don't have the same people over here. We don't have the same hierarchy. And we certainly don't have the same ways of choosing who is and who is not social royalty. Just because you weren't recognized in Riverdale does not mean you won't be recognized in Southside. Do you understand me?"

Jughead hung on every word, knowing in his gut that everything she said was true. And he relished in it. Maybe a little too much. Jughead always told himself nothing would change when he went to Southside, wanting it to be true. But the more he realized that he could be well liked in his new school, the more he questioned his relationship with Betty. Not because he didn't love her, but more because he knew that as he got drawn into the culture of Southside, Jughead would just become more dangerous. It scared the hell out of him, but Jughead saw it as inevitable and his new Serpent jacket didn't help. Was Jughead really prepared to put Betty in that sort of danger?

He couldn't think like that. Not right now. Not when they needed each other. After a moment, Jughead realized Fran was waiting for an answer to her question. He nodded. Fran smiled again and Jughead breathed out, not realizing he had been holding his breath.

"I'll go ahead and let you eat, darlin'," she said breezily, her smile never fading. "Put the dishes in the sink when you're done with them, ok?"

"Sure thing."

"And Jughead?" Fran was standing in the doorway to exit the kitchen.

"Yeah, Fran?"

"Be sure and wear that Serpent's jacket to school tomorrow. Should be a real hit!" Fran left the room then, shouting from the hallway, "Goodnight!"

"Uh, night!" Jughead shouted back, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He looked at his almost finished lasagna, trying and failing to take another bite before putting down the fork and just staring at the spot Fran was just standing.

How had she known about his new jacket?

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An: Review, please! You know you want to. :D


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Oh how I love, itsBeckChadwick. Let me count the ways!

Thank you so much for the reviews! I love that you guys are loving it. Hope you enjoy this one as well!

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The Darkness was back. That gnawing Darkness that tried to claw it's way out of her throat and hands and feet was back. It wanted violence. It wanted control. It wanted Alice to never speak about Jughead ever again. Because Jughead belonged to Betty, and the Darkness was apparently quite possessive.

Betty first named this thing in her when talking to Jughead about it, but she didn't start thinking of it as separate until she overheard her mother in the attic. It was one of the more intense waves of the Darkness that she's had so far. But everything that involved Jughead was intense.

This wasn't the first time her mother talked about Betty never seeing Jughead again. And the last time it happened, Betty reacted the same way: the Darkness bubbling in her throat and spewing out at her mother as they fought. It used to be that the Darkness laid dormant until jerks like Chuck messed with her friends. Now, it feels like it's always right under the surface of her skin, waiting to get what it wanted. Betty didn't know if she wanted to stop it anymore. It was scary…. but exhilarating.

Upon seeing Betty at the bottom of the attic stairs, Alice quickly rushed her into her daughter's bedroom, following Betty in and closing the door. Alice looked as if she was caught doing something she shouldn't have been, her hands up in defense and her body slouched slightly. Maybe she was just reacting to the hard look on Betty's face. The Darkness was itching to take over and do something Betty would regret. She kept it at bay.

"Betty-"

"Mom, why were you talking about me and Jughead?" Betty asked quickly, her body buzzing with barely contained fury.

"Sweetie, I don't know how much you heard-"

"Enough to know that you're talking about breaking us up. Again."

"You don't know the full story."

"I don't need to know anything. When are you going to stop trying to control me?"

"Betty, that's the last thing I want."

"That's bullshit," Betty snarled, and Alice looked shocked.

"Watch your mouth, Elizabeth." Alice's narrowed eyes were back, her posture straightening and her hands on her hips. Alice's power was coming back to her and the Darkness was growling to be released. "You may not like it, but I am your mother and I do know what's best for you."

"Is that what you think? That's it's best for me and Jughead to break up?"

"Maybe it is," Alice said. "You don't know everything, Betty. And what you don't know can hurt you. I'm trying to protect you."

"From what?!" Betty demanded and Alice opened her mouth to answer before closing it quickly. She shook her head.

"I can't tell you that right now." Betty almost screamed in frustration, the Darkness rushing to her hands as she clenched her fingernails into her palms. The pain temporarily eased the frustration flowing through her, enough to calm down.

"What were you guys even going through up there?" Betty asked. Alice sighed, rubbing her temples slightly.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"The truth would be nice," Betty practically growled, easing her fists a bit. Alice huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"The truth is, your father and I were having a private discussion over a private matter, and this is not something I need to discuss with my daughter." With Betty's shock, the Darkness was starting to rise to the surface, unappeased by the blood on her palms.

"You can't do that! You can't just decide things for me!"

"Of course we can! We're your parents. You might not think so, but part of our job is to keep you safe."

"Keep me safe? Or keep yourself safe?"

Alice didn't answer that immediately, choosing to stare icily at her daughter as Betty stared back, eyes hard. They stood like this for a few moments, both refusing to back down. Betty might have been stubborn, but she got it from her mother. Finally, Alice took a big breath in, and then breathed out, letting go of some of the tension in her body. Betty would have done the same, except the Darkness was whirling in her ears, blocking out the want for peace. And she was very close to just unleashing everything.

"Betty, I want you to know that Hal and I love you very much," Alice said, eyes softer than before. And just like that, the Darkness stopped growing, stopped pulsating. Betty could feel it beginning to recede. She took a calculated breath, and let it out.

"I love you guys too," she said softly.

"I have something I need to tell you, but I don't know if I can," Alice said, growing more vulnerable by the second. "It's deeply personal and yes, it has to do with Jughead."

"You can tell me, Mom. Whatever it is, I can handle it." Alice sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't think I can do it tonight, Betty, " Alice said hesitantly. "But I promise not to try and make any of your life decisions until I'm able to talk to you about...everything."

This was the best that could be asked for. Alice had a deeply personal secret that she didn't feel like she could share with her daughter. Betty understood the feeling. It wasn't like she was rushing to tell her mother that something inside of her was compelling her to hurt herself and other people. Betty could give her mother a bit of slack. She nodded at her mother in understanding and Alice breathed deeply again. They stood staring at each other for a few moments.

"It's getting late," Alice said softly. "Time for bed." She reached out tentatively and hugged her daughter as if she was afraid Betty would reject the contact. Instead, Betty gently wrapped her arms around her mother.

"Good night, Betty." Alice said, kissing the top of her head. Betty nodded.

"Night, Mom."

Alice exited, giving one last parting look to her daughter before leaving. Betty sighed, emotionally exhausted from the day. This was one of the best and worst days of Betty's life and her mother was the last nail in the coffin. She could feel herself growing tired, lying down on her well-made bed to stretch out. Thinking back on the day, her mind lingered on the morning with Jughead, before all this drama. The argument with her mother only made Betty crave his presence now more than ever. She closed her eyes and replayed the short time they had just spent in her bedroom: hands everywhere, passionate kisses, and wanting so much to be closer. She could practically feel his soft lips on hers again, and her hand reached up to rub her bottom lip. Sighing, Betty took her phone from her back pocket, typing out a message.

 **I miss you.**

Betty didn't have to wait long until he replied. She grinned as her phone vibrated.

 _I just left! Aren't you sick of me? ;)_

Betty bit her bottom lip. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

 **I'll never be sick of you.**

 _I wish I was holding you right now._

Betty sighed, remembering the feel of him against her this morning. Some more half naked sleeping was definitely in order.

 **I wish my hands could feel your skin.**

 _I wish I could kiss that spot behind your ear._

 **Why that spot?**

 _When I do it, you moan and it drives me crazy._

Betty felt the skin he mentioned, closing her eyes and imagining Jughead was there. She hummed in satisfaction, wishing it wasn't a fantasy. Betty felt a little bold, wondering if she should send the next message she was thinking of, before deciding to type it out.

 **Does it drive you crazy when I trace the line of your boxers?**

Betty could feel her face growing red. For a moment, waiting on his response, she almost wondered if this was too much. She was practically sexting! And that is not something that Betty ever thought she'd be capable of. Her eyes lit up at his response.

 _Fuck, Betty. I wish you were doing it right now._

Betty smirked, feeling almost powerful as she kept typing.

 **How about when I trace the lines on your chest with my fingers?**

 _God, yes._

Betty could feel her chest rise and fall, her skin tingling. Jughead wasn't the only one enjoying this.

 **Or when I nibble on your neck?**

 _Shit. Betts, you're killing me._

Betty chuckled, fanning herself lightly with her hand. She needed to get herself under control. Jughead wasn't here and she's pretty sure she pushed her boundaries enough with this whole sort-of-sexting thing. Betty took a breath, hoping to cool herself off.

 **Sorry, Juggie. I'll stop.**

Betty was surprised when the three dots on the screen stayed for a few minutes before he responded.

 _I mean, I didn't say that. ;)_

Betty grinned, clutching her phone to her chest and closing her eyes for a brief moment before being surprised by another text.

 _Was your mom mad?_

 **Not as mad as I was.**

 _She tell you what she was talking about?_

 **No, but she promised not to do anything crazy like try and break us up.**

 _You gonna investigate?_

Betty thought about it for a second, wondering if it was a good idea.

 **What would you do?**

 _I'd already be up there, snooping in your mom's stuff._

Betty thought about what her mom said, and all the secrets her family was holding from her. Maybe it was time to stop waiting around for someone to spill the secrets and discover them for herself. She grinned, typing back.

 **You're a bad influence on me…**

 _Says the girl dirty texting._

Betty chuckled.

 **Are you at your foster family's house?**

 _Yep. The Shields are nice and creepy, just like before. Somehow Fran knew about my Serpent jacket._

Betty's heart jumped.

 **You think she's a Serpent?**

 _It's possible. This family is way too perfect._

 **So of course, they're hiding something.**

 _I love it when you can read my mind. :)_

 **I love it when I can feel your hands on my bare back.**

 _Jesus, Betty. If you want me to break into your house and get us both into serious trouble, I'm a couple of seconds away from that._

Betty laughed loudly at that, shaking her head.

 **Goodnight, Jughead Jones.**

 _I'm going to dream of you, Betty Cooper._

Betty smiled and turned on the flashlight function on her phone, already walking towards her bedroom door and out into the hall. Betty could hear her mother and father talking in hushed tones from inside their bedroom. Hopefully they'd be too busy with their discussion to notice any strange noises. She did her best to walk to the attic and pull open the door without making too much noise. They hadn't locked it, lucky for her!

Betty creeped into the attic, the light from her cell phone guiding her path. Once she got to the top, she noticed quite a few boxes strewn about. Looks like they chose not to clean up after looking through all of them. Betty peeked into one of the many, noticing an old Riverdale High School yearbook from the year before her parents graduated. She pulled it out, blowing off the dust and began flipping through it.

Betty's eyes furrowed as she looked at old photos of all the major adults in her life, Fred Andrews and Hal Cooper included. They all seemed to be having a great time, but her mother looked… different. She was wearing more makeup than she usually did, more than most of the other girls in her class. Black leather seemed to be the only thing she wore back then, if these pictures were any indication. In one picture, Alice had her arms wrapped around a man that looked only vaguely familiar. Who was he? Betty turned the page and gasped.

Alice stood there in a leather jacket, her back to the camera as she peaked over at her shoulder at it. On either side of her was F.P and the unknown man pointing at her back, big smiles on both of their faces. Betty gently touched the image they were pointing to in the picture: a large, twisting snake encased with the words 'Southside Serpent.'

"You found them, too?" Polly said. Betty jumped, just noticing her very pregnant sister at the top of the attic stairs.

"You scared me!" Polly smiled slyly.

"Sorry, Betty. But you shouldn't be up here," she said.

"Probably not, but I need to know what's going on with Mom."

"Why? Knowing does not make things any easier, trust me on this," Polly said, rubbing her swollen stomach.

"Whatever is going on could break Jughead and me up. What else am I supposed to do?" Betty asked, almost pleading. Polly nodded, leaning heavily on the wall. Her feet must be killing her.

"Believe me, I've been there. But the more you sneak around, the worse it's going to be."

"Did you know she used to be a Serpent?" Betty asked, and Polly's mouth formed a hard line.

"Yes. She told me after everything with Jason, before she sent me off to live with those nuns."

"Do you know who's in this picture?" Betty asked, lifting up the photo of her mom wrapped around a man who was not their father. Polly glanced at it, sighing. She nodded. "Who is it?"

"I can't tell you that, Betty."

"Why not?"

"Because it's Mom's secret to tell. Just, go to sleep. She'll tell you in her own time," Polly said, reaching out her hand for her sister. Betty chewed her bottom lip for a second before putting the yearbook back where she found it. She took Polly's hand and her sister smiled as they walked down the stairs together.

"Everything will be better in the morning. Trust me." Betty nodded as Polly went into her bedroom, closing the door. She took one last look at the attic door before finally going to her own room and shutting the door. Maybe Polly was right. Maybe everything would be clearer in the morning.

Even as Betty thought this, she knew it wasn't true. Everything was only going to get worse and Betty was paralyzed to stop it.

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AN: What? You say you want to review? Well, I suppose I won't stop you! :D


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sometimes I think ItsBeckChadwhick is the only reason this story gets published. Scratch that! They are. School is going to kick my butt this year, but I want to continue this. Here's to hoping I can! Thank you for your support. :)

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There wasn't a room in the entirety of Riverdale that could hold a candle to the gloom in FP's jail cell. Streams of light entered through the spaces in the peeling, white bars that surrounded the small living space of the elderly Jones. Unfortunately, it was not enough to give the cell any warmth. More than that, FP himself seemed to banish the light with his presence, any sun streaming in from the lone window stopping short of the black leather boots that hung over the cot in the corner. His stretched-out body took up so much space, and yet the light dared not touch it. Banishing the light came easy to all Jones' men, Jughead thought.

The lone guard on duty watched Jughead from the door frame as the younger Jones slowly made his way to the dark and lonely holding cell. The officer tightened his grip on his holster as if afraid Jughead might try something. Maybe wearing the Serpent jacket was a bad idea in this case, the snake on his back branding Jughead a criminal before he had had a chance to commit any crimes. But no matter how much he hated the image that the jacket gave him, the jacket connected him to FP in a way that repaired years of neglect between them. It was as if Jughead finally understood his father for the first time in his life and vice versa. He couldn't give something like that up.

Besides, Fran had been right. His jacket was a hit at Southside High. Usually, the school frowned on gang clothing, but the Serpents were the only ones that flew under that radar. Or possibly above it. Jughead remembered his Principal giving him a wink as Jughead walked by, hands in the pockets of the faded leather. The other guys at school were already giving him high fives and claps on the back, as if they knew him. The girls stood up a little straighter when he walked by, smiling wide in his direction. He'd like to say that his love for Betty kept him from noticing that, but these girls made it way too obvious. Not that Jughead would do anything about it. Still, it was certainly different than what he was used to.

Walking up to the bars, Jughead adjusted the grey beanie on his head.

"I got your contraband," the younger Jones said, holding up a comic book from the 1950s. FP shook his head in Jughead's direction.

"Don't say that so loud, kid. Someone might take you seriously."

"I was curious how I was supposed to slip a nail file into something like this. I decided that was a bit too cliche so I just brought you a knife instead." The guard stepped forward towards the teenager who shook the comic book deliberately in his direction. "Just kidding. See? Nothing to worry about."

The poor law enforcement narrowed his eyes at the young man but said nothing, content that Jughead was being…. well, Jughead. The younger Jones boy looked at his father again. FP's eyes looked more haggard than usual, the bags under them growing darker. The unkempt mess of brown on his head coupled with the beard slowly growing on his chin all worked to make FP seem much more pathetic than usual. And that was saying something.

"Are they not allowing you to sleep in here?" Jughead asked, slipping the comic book to FP through the bars.

"I keep having dreams, that's all," the older Jones replied, casually flipping through the book before throwing it on his unmade cot.

"About what?"

"You know what," FP responded, glancing over at the guard still watching them. Jughead assumed he was talking about Jason. "Your girl still okay?"

"So far, so good," Jughead whispered, trying to keep as much of their conversation private as possible.

"Well, keep it that way. She needs protection."

"I don't know how much I'm supposed to provide for her. There seem to be so many things stacked against us: this stupid jacket, not going to the same school anymore, Mrs. Cooper trying to break us up-"

"Alice is trying to do what now?" FP demanded, frustration clear. Jughead sighed.

"She was talking to Hal about… something. I don't know. That I'm dangerous for her. She didn't know Betty and I were listening in."

"Well, you are dangerous for her," FP said seriously.

"Way to make me feel better, Pops."

"Not trying to make you feel better. Trying to make you realize that the situation is serious."

"I'm getting that."

"As far as that jacket goes, it could be the one thing keeping Betty safe." Jughead scoffed. "I'm not joking."

"How do you figure?" FP sighed, running his hands along his face.

"Some people get born into the wrong family. Betty is one of those people."

"Don't I know it."

"No," FP said gravely. "You don't."

He didn't elaborate immediately, but for some reason, Jughead was feeling patient. Maybe it was because the situation had to do with Betty. That usually made him a better version of himself. Either way, he waited as FP stared at the wall for a few moments before looking back at his son.

"There's someone who doesn't like Alice-" FP started.

"Shocker."

"Well, this one is a shocker. He shouldn't be after her, but that isn't stopping him."

"Who's he?" FP glanced over at the guard. The officer was tense, looking off in another direction, but something told Jughead that this guy was listening intently to everything they were saying.

"Don't know," he said, but his eyes told Jughead a different story: I know but I can't tell you right now.

"Well, if you don't know, then how am I supposed to protect Betty?"

"Join the Serpents."

Jughead groaned, putting his forehead in between the bars of the jail cell. "How did I know you were going to say that?"

"Once you're one of them, they will protect Betty for you. There are eyes and ears for them all over town. Betty won't so much as trip over her shoelaces without a Serpent to catch her fall."

"That sounds… really good, actually," Jughead said, relieved by the idea of it. He knew the Serpents wouldn't harm Betty, and if he joined them, he could get their added protection to make sure nothing happens to her. There was, of course, a downside. "But I don't know how well Betty is going to take to me joining the Serpents."

"Why?" FP asked, as if Jughead had said something ridiculous.

"What do you mean, why?" Jughead demanded, glancing over to the guard himself. "They're involved in... not so nice activity."

FP rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and that could be the thing that keeps her safe. Don't you want her safe?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you have your answer."

"No, I don't," Jughead growled, taking the bars on his father's cell into his fists. "You don't get it."

"What don't I get?"

"Betty won't want to be with me if I'm a Serpent."

FP was silent for a moment, watching his son with an intensity that the younger Jones had rarely seen. Jughead wanted to say more, but the look in FP's eyes made him think that it was a better idea to keep quiet.

"Let me ask you something, Jughead."

"Ok…"

"Do you love her?"

"Yes."

"Do you want her safe?"

"Of course, but-"

"Then you need to buck up, be a man and keep her safe," FP growled, his eyes flared and intense. "It's isn't nice to lose someone you care about. It isn't a good feeling to watch them leave, but if leaving is what's best for them, then you have to let them go."

Jughead's heart constricted. He felt like someone had taken their hand, rammed it through his chest and ripped it out, still beating. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Betty and him were supposed to last forever. That's what Jughead wanted. He wanted to see Betty through high school and beyond. He wanted to see that the two of them could make it, that the two of them could defy the odds. They were supposed to defy the odds. But here was this thing, threatening to break off all the hard work they've already put it. And Jughead felt paralyzed to stop it.

"Is that how you felt with Mom?" Jughead whispered, barely audible. He was looking down at his shoes, refusing to meet his father's eye.

"Yeah," FP whispered, voice just as low. "I knew it was better for them to leave than to stay."

Jughead's body tensed from the force it took to not begin crying. While it wasn't exactly fair, Jughead couldn't help but blame his dad a bit for all of this: for being a serpent, for forcing him to grow up where he did, for showing this as the only way. Jughead inhaled and exhaled, trying to get his body under control.

"Are you going to do it?" FP asked, and Jughead had to breath deeply again to fight off a new wave of tears.

"Yeah," Jughead said hoarsely, finally looking his dad in the eyes again. "I'll join the Serpents."

FP smiled. "That's my boy."

Jughead was surprised to find Betty waiting outside jailhouse when he stepped out. She held two cups of coffee in her hands, smiling wide. Usually Betty's presence caused him to smile as well, but after the conversation he had with his father, it just wasn't coming. Unlike FP, light seemed to radiate out of Betty's pores, the sun almost focusing in on her presence as she stood there, her trench coat wrapped tightly around her body with her signature ponytail on her head. Jughead was starting to realize that any light in his life came from this beautiful girl. He knew he had a finite amount of time left before her light was going to be extinguished and Jughead would be flooded in darkness once more. He wasn't ready to see it go just yet.

"Hey there," Betty said shyly, handing him his coffee, the brushing of their fingers causing electricity to shoot up his arm.

"Hey," Jughead responded, timidly placing his hand on her back before she leaned into him with her body. There faces were so close now and Jughead could hardly think for how much he wanted to kiss her.

"Everything ok?" Betty asked quietly, searching his eyes. Jughead nodded, dropping his forehead to hers.

"I'm just surprised to see you, that's all."

"I missed you. Fran told me you were here," Betty whispered and Jughead nodded again. She shifted nervously in his arms, meeting his eyes warily. "It wasn't a bad surprise, was it?"

"No, not at all," Jughead said softly, eyes on her mouth. "It's a very good surprise."

He closed the gap between the two of them, brushing his lips against hers. Jughead smiled as Betty inhaled sharply, her mouth opening slightly to deepen the kiss. Jughead could feel Betty's tongue around his and he moaned as Betty weaved her free hand through his hair. He leaned back slowly, wanting to see her. Betty's eyes were half lidded, mouth slightly open, her lips already wet. She was always beautiful, but after they kissed, she became gorgeous. Jughead's body reacted to her so easily, tightening his grip on her back. He didn't know how much longer he could take before finishing what they started when they first said, 'I love you.' Jughead wasn't sure how much time he had left with her.

Betty smirked then, and even though it wasn't a look he was used to, Jughead knew what it meant. The quirk of her lips said that she was thinking of doing something she hadn't done before. And that they were both going to like it.

"So, guess who's parents will be out of town for a Newspaper convention in New York City for the next week?" she asked, glancing from his mouth to his eyes. Jughead smiled.

"I'm guessing it's you," he said, leaning into her ear to brush his nose against the lobe. Betty let out a giggle, pressing her body even closer into his.

"You're guessing right. Polly wants to go with them so that she can see New York City before the babies are born."

"Guess that means you're going to be all alone," Jughead muttered against her ear, kissing the spot right behind it. Betty moaned and Jughead grinned. Exactly the reaction he was searching for.

"It's a little dangerous to be home alone. Know of anyone who can keep me safe tonight?" she breathed, her hand playing with the hair line on his neck. Jughead stopped moving for a second. Safe. He was supposed to be keeping her safe. He was supposed to be joining the Serpents and breaking her heart to keep her safe. "Juggie?"

But not tonight. Tonight, they were going to be two people in love. He could worry about the rest tomorrow. Jughead tilted his head to look into her eyes and smiled. "I can think of a few people."

Betty smiled widely at that, pulling his head down to crush her lips against his. Everything could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

AN: Reviews bring inspiration! :)


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